With a mischievous smile and a great deal of self-confidence, young György Grekui walked into the interview area accompanied by teammate Claudiu Pop, the self-appointed interpreter for the interview. György – known as Gyuri among his team – is 18 years old, and one of the youngest players in the Romanian squad. He comes from…
Grenada’s Lyndon Rennie
This was the first time Grenada sent a team to compete at the Homeless World Cup. Lyndon Rennie aged 27, was one of the lucky eight young men selected for the Grenadian squad. This was not only Lyndon’s first time in Amsterdam, it was his first time out of Grenada. Lyndon comes from the small…
South Korea’s Stoic Seunggug Jang Opens Up
With a stern look and impenetrable expression, 35 year-old Seunggug Jang, from Team South Korea stood as the interview was about to commence. With translation help from his coach Changyong Lee, he shared his story. Jang lives in the South Korean capital of Seoul, and he is currently working at a recycling factory. “He has been working…
Peruvian Goalkeeper Fighting for LGBT Rights
As a young girl growing in Peru, Angie Malaver quickly developed her love for football. Peru also taught Angie how hard it can be for women to have equal access to the beautiful game. Football is the national sport in Peru, but it’s a man’s game. “It’s hard for women in many countries to play football,”…
The Boy With Hazel Eyes
At the age of 9, Stefan Zlatev started playing football; even then he knew he wanted to spend his life kicking a ball. Stefan plays for Bulgaria’s Team of Hope and this is the first time he has ever left his country. When asked about his home, he looks seriously at Rossina Choleeva, his interpreter….
A Team Becomes a Family
On the training pitch, the women’s Mexican squad are hard at work warming up for their match against Chile. Following the coach’s instructions, the young women stretch, jump, and run with clear conviction and a single shared goal: winning the Women’s Homeless World Cup. Among the players is 25-year-old Lizbeth Angeles, a smiley young woman from…
“It Makes Me Feel Proud” – Jamie, Team Scotland
While watching the Homeless World Cup matches, it is easy to forget that the players come from challenging environments. Often they face problems with substance abuse, violence and homelessness. The smiles on the pitch not only represent a goal scored or a match won, they are also a sign of regained hope. Thirty-year-old Jamie Maclean understands…
Dangerous Propaganda
How do we distinguish what is news from what is just rotten speech? We are constantly bombarded by information. At times it is overwhelming and it may be difficult to discern what is true and valuable news reporting from a well disguised story with an ulterior motive. In order to make sense of the news…
Privacy Matters
Too often we listen to the “National Defence” rhetoric which stipulates that in the name of progress we must all make some small sacrifices. Small sacrifices, like when you are handled like cattle every time you wish to fly somewhere, treated like a criminal in every plane you board and forced to display your personal…
Feminists Need to Reclaim the Movement
Recently the word “feminist” has taken many forms and meanings. Even though the movement has come very far in terms of gender equality, there is still a long way to go. The word “feminist” can now mean a variety of things. At its purest form it defines an advocate of gender equality, the idea that…